Leader
O God, come to our assistance.
All
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Leader
Glory to You, Source of all being, Eternal Word, and Holy
Spirit.
All
As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever.
Amen.
Psalm 121
Leader
(Refrain) To you, O Lord, I have lifted up my
eyes.
To you, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul.1
All
(Repeat refrain after each verse.)
Side 1
I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my
help?
My help shall come from the Lord who made the heavens and the
earth.
All
To you, O Lord, I have lifted up my eyes.
To you, O Lord, I
have lifted up my soul.
Side 2
The Lord is your guard and your shade, forever by your
side.
By day the sun shall not smite you nor the moon in the night.
All
To you, O Lord, I have lifted up my eyes.
To you, O Lord, I
have lifted up my soul.
Side 1
The Lord ever watches over you, the guardian of your
soul.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going now and forever.
All
To you, O Lord, I have lifted up my eyes.
To you, O Lord, I
have lifted up my soul.
Reading
Caregiving demands lots of physical and emotional energy. It is frequently
hard, draining work. We donít have an unlimited supply of energy, and so we must
figure out what the source of replenishment is for each of us. The principle of
burnout is that more energy goes out from a system than comes into it. Do we
think about the ways our energy is replenished and build them into our life? The
Psalmist spoke of "lifting our eyes to the mountains" to find help. Are we built
up again through time in the mountains, meditation, relaxation, outdoor
activity, reading, exercise, prayer, creative expression, or a combination of
many opportunities?
(Joan Guntzelman, Prayers for Caregivers, St. Mary's Press, Tempe, AZ,
1995, p. 140.)
For Reflection or Sharing
- Do I have a source of replenishment for my energy?
- How do I experience "lifting [my] our eyes to the mountains?"
- What seems to work for me?
Leader
Let us pray.
All
Dear God, when I spend myself without replenishment, I wind up
being no help to anyone. I know what nourishes and refreshes me. Thank you for
these gifts, and may I turn to them readily. I recognize that I have far more to
offer when I am vibrant and full of life than when I am burned out. Praise to
you, my God. Amen.
NOTES
1. Text: Psalm 121:1-2, 5-6, 7-8.